Bendtner returns to training as striker search continues

Arsene Wenger says he’s still looking to bring in another striker during the January transfer window, but also talked up the team’s goalscoring options with the return of two forwards imminent.

After having his ankle twisted against Cardiff, Nicklas Bendtner returns to full training today, while there’s good news regarding Yaya Sanogo too.

Talking of potential January moves, the boss said, “Ideally, if it’s possible we’d like another, though we have not found anyone. We are open to strengthening our squad if it’s possible. But as well we have Bendtner back in the squad on Monday.

“Sanogo is back in the squad on Monday week. But for us, it’s important to know everybody can score. Ramsey is a goalscorer and he’s not playing at the moment. Arteta can get us a goal and he’s not playing. That’s very positive, I think.

“That’s the best thing that can happen for us. If you depend on one player then you have to put him in cotton wool to keep him fit.”

Speaking about the young Frenchman earlier this season, Wenger said, “We have signed Sanogo. He has not made the headlines. Why? Because he is not £50m to £100m but I am quite confident he will make them soon on the pitch, and that for me is the most important.”

Clearly he’s seen something in him and would surely have used him more this season but for the unfortunate injury. However, the continued striker search is probably a hint that Wenger realises it’s a lot to ask of him to have any kind of impact in a title chasing season, and it may well be the next campaign before we really see what he’s about.

Our next 3 games.. Conventry, Southampton and crystal palace.
Chelsea- stoke, westham,man city.
Man city-(insert the fa cup team),tottenham,chelsea.
Point is, if all goes to plan I can see us being 4 or 3 points clear at the top.

We have lots of players who can score special goals all over the park. In my opinion,we need a 30+ goalscorer. The ones where they bang in the messy type goals,the tap-ins and most importantly,the goal poachers finishes. I believe we have the squad to push on for the title,so I won’t be disappointed if we don’t sign anyone in January.

We have the prospect of the summer transfer market to look forward too. Exciting times ahead. COYG

Once again, when Arsene talks about all of our striking/goal scoring alternatives Park’s name doesn’t even get a mention. Must be soul-destroying for the kid (although I’m sure his wages help soothe him!!) but it’s a mystery why he keeps putting this guy on the bench when he clearly has no faith in him at all. Why not put one of the prospects from the reseves on the bench instead as it’s clear it would take some sort of major catstrophe to happen for Park to get a run out.

I just wish one journalist would at least ask Arsene what the story is with Park. I know he’s not gonna say “He’s crap – we made a terrible mistake there!” but it would at least be interesting to make him give some sort of explanation.

OK, maybe I should have spell-checked my post before submitting it, but before any other smart-asses have their say I have to clarify that when I said “it would take some sort of major CATStrophe to happen for Park to get a run out” I am speaking about the sort of scenario where a huge wild feral cat ventures into the stadium, and hides under the Arsenal bench until the next game. It lurks there until Arsene has used 2 of his 3 substituations, then reveals itself and savages the remaining subs to death – with the exception of Park – whom it inexplicably takes a liking to and just purrs and snuggles up to him. Szcznesny then gets badly injured and is strethchered off leaving Wenger with no choice but to put Park on in goal. Nobody can deny this is fairly likely to happen as such an event has never occurred in previous games this season, so the odds of it now happening must be fairly huge when you think about it. Jesus, I hope Park’s been practicing his goal keeping in training as I feel our chances of winning the title depend on him.

You’ve got a pretty good crystal ball there, mate. I have no doubt every word of it will come true. It’ll be in the match away at Everton on April 5, with us sitting fifteen points ahead of Chelski and Schitty and needing only a point to clinch the title. With the match nil-nil in the seventh minute of time added, Everton will get a penalty. That big cat will purr and snuggle up against Park in our goal, and between the two of them they’ll not only save the penalty, but punt the ball all the way down the field. Since Tim Howard will have come forward for the penalty, the ball will roll into the unguarded net for an Arsenal win. The cat will receive the Premier League trophy at the end of the game … hence the catstrophe.

All jokes aside. Im welcoming bendtner back with great optomism. He has already had a big impact in his 200minutes or so this year. He could be the difference from pipping the league by a point. Praise the lord.

I guess we can simplify this conundrum to one single factor. Is Bentdner good enough to lead our line? If we don’t bring in a striker, he will have to in some massive games as even a Giroud with a clean bill of health can’t play 2 games a week ’til May. I’m not at all comfortable with that.
It’s a specialist role that Giroud plays and just because Nick is a similar build doesn’t mean he can do it. Nick hasn’t proven much in his 7-8 year career to suggest he could or should be an integral part of a title winning team. Apart from a good loan spell at Birmingham, he has done nothing at Sunderland, even less at Juve and this, in my opinion, is why it’s so vital we don’t end up relying on him.

Completely off topic, but cant resist posting this gem from Vucinic’s Wiki page:
“In recent years, Vučinić has become known for removing his shorts when celebrating goals he scored. He has done so with Roma,[2] with Juventus[3] and with Montenegro.[4]”

As for Liverpool, its about the right time to play them I suppose,a good gap has built up between top 3 and 4th, L’pool, and they seem ripe for the picking, but not an easy game by any means.

United have this voodoo thing with Arsenal and for some reason Arsenal have not beaten Man U all that often, in the recent past, so another diff one.

Bayern lol, don;t know quite what to make of them. Last year they were at another level, but I doubt they are at the same level this year. Also unlike the previous season, I doubt the tie will be over in the first leg itself.

I’ve been following French Ligue1 and Ligue2 for a some years now, and they do have some hidden gems there.
Problem is, that French players, or rather players coming from French youth selections are selected predominately on physical attributes before given intense technical training.
By the age of 16-17 these players are strong, fast, and technically equipped for their positions. But, maturity, and tactical understanding is what comes later, or does not come at all. Players break into the first-team by the age of 18-19, or get shipped on loan to get more time or get lost out in a sea of similar players in lower leagues.
There are numerous examples of player showing a huge amount of talent at very young age, never taking that last step towards top-class football. It is also not unseen of a French player to be a late bloomer (Giroud) after being only average league player at younger age.

It’s a complete mystery what can become of a French player after he leaves his boyhood club.
In the past, Wenger was very successful in helping players make that last, big step with towards top football.
He knows how to get the best out of young players he select after seeing they have ‘that certain something’, and I hope Sanogo would be no different.

i appreciate wenger trying to boost his players moral, but lets be real- having sanogo back is not going to improve our chances in any way. Kid’s been injured for how long now? and has only played 20mins for us. He is nothing more than a “prospect” and wenger needs to stop patronizing us with this “because he’s not worth x amount crap”.If we don’t win the league, it’ll be because of having an average striker like Giroud.

If this season is anything to go by (Ramsey) we should always bear in mind that nothing remains static in football (The media’s number one assumption and mistake) and that young players always carry the capacity to improve.

Signing on a striker (on loan or otherwise) could be a delicate thing this month since there are others in the hunt which may be reason why it won’t happen till the very last minute of the window for fear of a hijack.

I think the player we need to look at should carry a bit of pace preferably just to add a different capability up top and provide another option for us in the wide area (albeit Gnabry looks a fine prospect and Ox, Podolski are coming back in)

Honestly, I can see why people want us to buy a striker, but provided our strikers remain fairly injury-free, we are well off with them. Bendtner’s last games were really encouraging (never thought I’d say this), and Giroud isn’t as bad as people make him out to be. Buying a striker would most likely disrupt the balance we have, and stutter Bendtner’s development (lol)

I just wanna say. Hope we get draxler. Not a striker, but what’s hightened our need was the loss of Walcott. A winger who scores goals. What I’ve seen of draxler makes me think he can do that fir us. He’s got something of the G.Bale about him. And I know he’s injured but having him for March April May could be much needed.

I think Bendter can do the job, against lesser teams. I get that he scores a few goals so far and won us 6 points, but his movement is too ponderous. It is probably a lack of fitness; guy needs to shed some weight.

I think that we need a poacher type of striker that has a nose for goal in the vein of… Eduardo… might be a good option, there was alot of talk about him being interested in coming back to the Gunners last week. As an alternative I suggest Chicharito.

Someone with skill, finesse, strong finishing abilities on a par with the likes of Suarez, young, agile, quick, and I reckon available at around £20M-£25M at most – the only con against all these pluses is he can be a bit of a problem child type player, much like Suarez. I refer, of course, to Mario Balotelli.